Parents Coaching - What difference does it make?

[H.J.]

Can coaching really make a big difference in skill acquisition/development? Are some really that much better than others?? Anyone get a new coach and things started clicking in a way that you can really attribute mostly to coaching skill?

 

[gymmomx2]

Yes, yes, and yes.

 

[munchkin3]

Coaches are 1000000% the key. Good coaches take time to become.

 

[ladybird]

Yes, coaching ability plus the ability to connect with my child equaled skill acquisition and confidence.

 

[amiandjim]

HUGE difference

 

[Committed]

Huge.
Same thing with teachers.

 

[FutureGirls]

Oh my goodness yes. We have been at our new gym for 3 months and the differences in the coaches, and the coaches being able to make decisions. Has made an enourmous z difference. In skills learned and overall confidence. Yes, yes, yes!

 

[Seeker]

Oh yes -- like night and day when you find the right situation for your child. It is huge.

 

[beachgirl]

Gym change led to vault scores in the low 9s to consistently being over 9.6

 

[Nikki4]

YES!!!!

 

[John]

I will lend my opinion when summer is over. But I think it makes all the difference.

 

[lovemygymnast]

Huge difference!! Great coaching changed everything!

 

[2gymkids]

HUGE difference. Great coaches are worth their weight in gold, both to gymnastics development and to developing fine little people as well. My gymmie is slowly recovering from a tough coaching year (lovely person, could have been a good coach, just didn't want to be there at all and they all knew it). She had two amazing coaches before that and is back with what seem to be some pretty terrific ones as well.

 

[dancingimmie]

The coach athlete relationship is so important. My dd and her coach click but he definitely doesn't click with all the girls. Some think he's mean and pushes to hard. My dd appreciates his honesty and it really works for her.

 

[Gymmommy71]

My DD is very sensitive to the coaching dynamic - if she doesn't like a coach for whatever reason, her progress will shut down. I have seen drastic differences in her improvement levels from season to season based on who she has for a coach. Sadly, ideal coaching situations can end for reasons outside of your control (coach leaves the gym, gets moved to a different group, etc.) and then you have to hope for the best w/ the next coach and/or wait and see.

 

[gymmomx2]

I don't think that my kids especially "click" with any of their coaches but it still works. The coaching philosophy is what makes all the difference for my kids - positive coaching along with high expectations and really treating each gymnast as an individual. Also, drilling skills far before they will ever need to compete them and choosing skills with long term development in mind versus what will score the best this season.

I don't have the most talented kids but their coaches believe in them as they believe in every gymnast they coach. We are lucky indeed.

 

[Madden3]

Maybe I do not understand what you are asking, so forgive me if I miss the mark.

Obviously a competent coach is going to be better than an incompetent one. A coach who cannot communicate appropriately or effectively with the age level they are coaching is certainly a problem. An abusive or cruel coach should not be coaching. I would also agree that the overall philosophy of a program matters.

But here is what my experience is- my 2 sons have been on the same team for 6 years. We have seen multiple coaching changes and one HC change. Some coaches have been part time, some full time. Most pretty young, but some experienced and some inexperienced.

Both of my sons both did well with every coach. They liked every coach, and they improved under every coach. Several times over the years we have heard of other gymnasts (or their parents) being unhappy with this coach or that coach: This coach is too mean. This coach yelled at me. This coach is not keeping discipline. This coach is not tough enough, and also, "my kid is not doing as well as he should under this coach." Kids complained to parents, and parents complained to the gym, and sometimes coaches left due to this, and my kids (and I) never knew why. Again, they liked and did as well as they are capable of with every coach they ever had, and I believe they learned important things about gymnastics-and life- from every coach they had. Most importantly I always felt they were safe and they always have had fun. 6 years and neither ever wanted to miss a single practice.

I guess I am saying that I think that of course the coach matters but the athlete's attitude and ability to listen, behave appropriately at practice, and to be coached matters too.

 

[Dahlia]

Yes! It's amazing how much a coach who actually believes in an athlete can make!

 

[skschlag]

So, Here is my take on it.

I think coaching makes a big difference, especially in a program with only 1 coach. If you are in a program with an established climate and culture, then things can move along wiht less than stellar coaching. Coaches may come and go, but as long as there is a stablizing presence that keeps the program moving, things will be good.

That being said, there is nothing that can replace good, solid, consistent coaching.

 

[Aussie_coach]

And it goes both ways. A poor coach can put out the fire in a child, or even worse can cause lifelong injury to the child if their knowledge is not up to par with the work they are teaching.